Space
Space is one of Conquer Club’s oldest maps having been quenched back in June of 2006. It is a popular map despite being one of the older maps on Conquer Club, because its gameplay is unique. The map has 42 regions, which makes for quick 1vs1s, as well as not being too small as to make larger games finish too suddenly or abruptly. Features Ranged Assaults: Warp Gates and Wormholes are able to assault each other from different corners of the map Double Dipping: Both Arda and Narnia require the Inkling Station to hold the bonus. Sol and Valhalla also require the Yggdrasil Station. Tír na nÓg Station is shared by the Fae and Sol bonuses Settings Recommended Space plays best with no spoils in my view, as this puts more emphasis on strategy and clever reinforcements to capturing the bonuses. In Flat Rate there is often too big an element of luck. This is because the map is smaller and if someone is lucky and gets a mixed set in three, they can be put in too much of an advantage resulting in an unbalanced game. Escalating Escalating games on Space play very differently to games with the other spoils types. This is because the Wormholes and the Warp Gates play a much greater role in the key to success. When starting the game, it is often wise to try to reinforce any Wormholes or Warp Gates you have because they are the key from getting one side of the map to the other, which is crucial for lining up opponent eliminations. Other regions that are key for victory include the Stations due to their strategic locations that give them access to multiple zone bonuses. Flat rate Due to the tendency that flat rate games with 3-8 players can often build into stalemates and last for what seems forever, there is a greater opportunity for a player to try and steal one of the larger bonus zones due to the longevity of games. Of course, like with the Asia on the Classic map, trying to capture Sol may be too much of a challenge. However, there is often a greater potential to try and capture Fae or possibly even Valhalla, if you start with a strong initial troop drop there. Despite this, it wouldn't be good advice to waste all your troops early on in the game trying to capture these bonus zones as you can severely weaken yourself. In regards to the Wormholes and Warp Gates, although they are useful in the fact that anyone who owns them has a quick route access all around the map. In a flat rate game, this can be more of a hindrance than an advantage. This is because the high amount of borders they have makes them more vulnerable to assaults. This is especially since anyone who tries to capture Arda or Narnia will want to hold them to reduce their borders. Often in a large flat rate game, two players will try and hold either Narnia or Arda . However, due to the fact that they share the Inkling Station, they can often end up embroiled in a war that weakens them both more severely rather than strengthening their own position. That is why trying to capture the Fae bonus in a flat rate game often puts one ahead of the game in terms of holding a safe location that isn't commonly competed for. Nuclear Nuclear spoils add a certain level of dynamism to the game, and one must be cautious not to stack up all your men on one region. This should be advised even if you are defending a bonus as if these troops are wiped out by a spoil assault you can be severely weakened. Also, remember not to nuke your own troops(unless forced to) and to stay one or two turns ahead by keeping an eye on what spoils and what regions you hold. Manual deployment Manual deployment should be avoided with 1vs1 games because of the fact that the map is so easily connected through the wormholes and warp gates. With manual deployment, it can often result in the person who goes first rushing through the map very quickly with the second player left behind in a severely weakened position. If you do however choose to play manual, remember to focus your deploy around areas you are strongest so that you have the best possible chance of holding a bonus. 1v1 The easiest bonus zones to hold on the Space map are Arda , Narnia and the Wormhole Network. In particular the Narnia bonus with its 5 regions and 2 borders is generally the starting point for assaults in a 1vs1 game. However, you must be careful of opponents capturing the Wormhole Network in the meantime as although it has 3 borders, it only has 3 regions and gives a +3 bonus therefore putting anyone who captures it and successfully holds it in a very strong position. In order to win one must use the Warp Gates and Wormholes effectively, reinforcing them is always a good strategy in the first couple of rounds. This is because if an opponent manages to capture the Narnia bonus, there is the potential to break the bonus zone via the Warp Gates, and this chance is increased 'if you have a sizeable troop stack on one of the Warp Gates. I wouldn’t advise trying to capture the Fae, Sol or Valhalla bonuses as this is a wasted opportunity as they are too big to hold. Whilst you’re attempting to do this, there is a bigger threat that your opponent will be capturing and holding one of the smaller bonus zones, giving them a vast advantage of troops. Team games In a team game on Space, reinforcements should be directed towards the Warp Gates and Wormholes due to the fact that they connect every corner of the map together. Normally, if your team is particularly strong in troop numbers in either the Narnia or Arda bonus zones, it is well worth for one team member to try and capture one of those bonus zones. Meanwhile, another team member holds the Warp Gate or the Wormhole that isn't part of the bonus, and have them strongly reinforced in order to prevent the zone bonus from being broken. This has been an effective strategy in the past where teams have captured the whole of Narnia and Arda quite early on, giving them a considerable advantage. The Wormhole Network is always another possible bonus to capture in a team game. This is because with only 3 regions, it is relatively easy for one team member to capture. In the interim, the other team member clears out the opponents from any of the bordering regions.